Health care districts: design-build process.

Assembly Member Flora's proposal to expand design-build contracting authority to all California health care districts marks a shift from current law, which limits this procurement method to only three specific districts - Sonoma Valley, Last Frontier, and Mayers Memorial.

The legislation would permit any health care district to utilize design-build procedures for hospital and health facility construction projects, following board approval. Districts exercising this authority must comply with existing Public Contract Code requirements and ensure all hospital building projects undergo review under the Alfred E. Alquist Hospital Facilities Seismic Safety Act of 1983. The bill defines health care districts that own or operate hospitals or clinics as "local agencies" for purposes of design-build regulations.

This expansion of design-build authorization carries implications for procurement oversight and verification requirements. Design-build entities working with newly eligible districts must submit information under penalty of perjury, extending existing verification mandates to a broader pool of contractors. While the bill creates a state-mandated local program through these expanded requirements, it specifies that no state reimbursement is required since the changes relate to crime definition modifications under California constitutional provisions.